Jeff Francis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeff Francis |
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Francis with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015
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| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||
| Born: January 8, 1981 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 25, 2004, for the Colorado Rockies | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| October 4, 2015, for the Toronto Blue Jays | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 72–82 | |||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 4.97 | |||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 869 | |||||||||||||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2022 | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Jeffrey William Francis, born on January 8, 1981, is a Canadian who used to play professional baseball. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several teams, including the Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. He is now a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Jeff Francis grew up in North Delta, British Columbia. He went to Burnsview Junior Secondary School and North Delta Senior Secondary School. He played for the North Delta Blue Jays, which was a top junior baseball team.
After high school, Jeff studied physics at the University of British Columbia. He also played baseball for the UBC Thunderbirds team there.
Starting His Professional Baseball Journey
Drafted by the Colorado Rockies
In 2002, the Colorado Rockies picked Jeff Francis in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 9th player chosen overall. This was a big deal because he and another Canadian player, Adam Loewen, were drafted higher than any other Canadian baseball players before them.
In 2004, Jeff was named the Minor League Player of the Year by two important baseball magazines, Baseball America and USA Today. He was the first player from the Colorado Rockies team to win either of these awards. He joined a small group of players who won both awards in the same year.
While playing for the minor league teams, Tulsa and Colorado Springs, Jeff had a great record. He won 16 games and lost only 3. His ERA was very low at 2.21. He also struck out 196 batters in 154.2 innings. This showed he was a very talented pitcher.
Making His MLB Debut
Jeff Francis played his first Major League Baseball game on August 25, 2004. He pitched for the Colorado Rockies against the Atlanta Braves. He didn't win that first game, but he got his first MLB victory on September 5, 2004. This win was against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. He pitched very well, not allowing any runs for over five innings. Jeff finished his first year with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses.
Playing for the Rockies (2005-2007)
In 2005, Jeff became a regular pitcher for the Rockies. He started 33 games that year. He won 14 games and lost 12.
By September 23, 2006, Jeff had won his 30th career game. This made him the left-handed pitcher with the most wins in the history of the Rockies team. He finished the 2006 season with a much better ERA of 4.16 and won 13 games.
In November 2006, Jeff signed a four-year contract with the Rockies. This was a big deal and showed how much the team believed in him.
The year 2007 was one of Jeff's best. He won a career-high 17 games and had 165 strikeouts. He also pitched over 215 innings. This was the year the Rockies made it to the playoffs for the first time in a long time.
On October 3, 2007, Jeff made history. He became the first Canadian starting pitcher to win a Major League Baseball playoff game. He beat the Philadelphia Phillies in his first-ever playoff appearance. Later that month, he became the second Canadian starting pitcher to play in the 2007 World Series. The Rockies played against the Boston Red Sox but lost the series.
Dealing with Injuries (2008-2010)
In 2008, Jeff had a tough year. He struggled with a shoulder injury for most of the season. He finished with 4 wins and 10 losses.
In February 2009, Jeff had surgery on his left shoulder. Because of this, he missed the entire 2009 Major League Baseball season. He also couldn't play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic that year.
Jeff returned to play in 2010 after his injury. He pitched in 20 games for the Rockies, winning 4 and losing 6. After this season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Moving to Other Teams
Kansas City Royals (2011)
In January 2011, Jeff signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. He became one of their main starting pitchers. He finished the season with 6 wins and 16 losses. After the season, he became a free agent again.
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Cincinnati Reds (2012)
In January 2012, Jeff signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched very well for their Triple-A team, the Louisville Bats. He even pitched a complete game shutout, meaning he didn't let the other team score any runs.
Back with the Rockies (2012-2013)
After leaving the Reds, Jeff signed a new deal with the Colorado Rockies in June 2012. He pitched for them for the rest of the season.
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He signed with the Rockies again for the 2013 season. This year was difficult for him. He pitched in 23 games, sometimes starting and sometimes coming in from the bullpen. He finished with 3 wins and 5 losses. After this season, he became a free agent once more.
Playing for Multiple Teams (2014)
In 2014, Jeff signed with the Cincinnati Reds again. He played one game for them before moving to the Oakland Athletics. He played for the Athletics for a short time before being traded to the New York Yankees. He also played a few games for the Yankees before being released.
Toronto Blue Jays and Retirement (2015)
In October 2014, Jeff signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He started the 2015 season with their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons. He was called up to the Blue Jays in April 2015. In his first game with the Blue Jays, he pitched to Russell Martin. This was special because it was the first time in Blue Jays history that both the pitcher and catcher were Canadian.
Jeff made 14 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2015, mostly as a relief pitcher. He finished with 1 win and 2 losses.
On December 15, 2015, Jeff Francis announced that he was retiring from baseball.
Over his MLB career, Jeff pitched 1291 innings. He had 72 wins and 82 losses, with an ERA of 4.97. He also had 869 strikeouts. He was a very good fielder, making only one error in 255 chances.
In February 2022, Jeff Francis was chosen to be in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He was officially welcomed into the Hall of Fame in June 2022.
Personal Life
Jeff Francis married Allison Padfield on December 31, 2005. They have two children: a daughter named Cameron, born in late 2009, and a son named Miles, born in December 2011.
International Baseball
Jeff Francis also played for the Canada national baseball team. He played in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He also played in the 2015 Pan American Games. At the 2015 Pan American Games, he helped Team Canada win a gold medal in baseball.
